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Within the confines of Hoover Dam, a corps of civilian engineers and military technicians developed a camaraderie as the world collapsed around them, and came to see themselves as the last defenders of the achievements of humanity. This self-declared mission led the Techs to largely separate themselves from the general population, devoting themselves to their own crafting projects and research whenever they weren't repairing or maintaining the Dam itself.

During the CHOTA Revolt, the technology-hating CHOTA and Vistas who sacked the Hoover Dam wiped out most of the Techs. The few surviving Techs managed to escape to Dawson Hill, a Pre-Fall industrial complex. There, the Techs built a school of technology, and the complex became known as the University. Gradually, the Techs rebuilt their ranks. Apt recruits from all over the Grand Canyon Province came to the University, answering the Techs' call to restore the technology of the old world.

The Techs have the strongest technological and industrial base of any of the factions in the Province. Owning the largest crafting facilities in the Province, Techs can manufacture more advanced items, armor, and firearms in larger quantities than any other group. While they are not incapable of defending themselves, they have comparably less experience in combat, wilderness survival, and diplomacy than the other factions. They tend to rely on their allies for protection, but stumble through other problems as best they can.

The Techs are led by the Congress of Science, which is made up of eight Techs elected yearly to their positions by the eight largest Tech settlements. All members of the Congress of Science have equal say in deciding matters that face all the Techs, but the representative of the University acts as the Speaker who keeps the Congress in order. The current Speaker is Geoffry McNas, who is also the Dean of the University. Other Techs' positions are organized in a set series of ranks, each with its responsibilities.

The primary subgroups within the Techs are the Appliers and the Theoreticians. Comprised largely of Techs recruited after the CHOTA Revolt, the Appliers believe that technology should be fundamentally practical as well as beneficial to humanity as a whole. Conversely, Theoreticians value the advancement of technology for its own sake and are more interested in their private research than bettering all of mankind. Many Theoreticians have fond memories of the technological achievements in the Hoover Dam, and are more ambitious than the Appliers in returning to that level of advancement.

The closest allies of the Techs are the Enforcers, who have similar aims and share memories of the Hoover Dam. The CHOTA Revolt served to draw the two factions closer together, and the Techs have since relied on the Enforcers for protection in exchange for advanced weapons and armor. The Techs have also had a long-standing friendship with the Travelers, who are a ready source of spare parts and information for the Techs. Most Techs prefer the safety of their facilities to dangerous reconnaissance missions, and the Travelers are very willing to acquire whatever the Techs need (for the right price).

With their hatred of technology and its excesses, the Vistas are the natural enemies of the Techs. Techs cannot comprehend the nature-based ideology and extremism of the Vistas, and view them as irrational and violent terrorists. In some ways, the Techs regard the CHOTA as more threatening than the Vistas. While Vistas have some capacity to reason, the CHOTA appear as dangerous savages wanting only to destroy whatever they encounter. Meanwhile, the Lightbearers are seen as ignorant bumpkins who believe in faith and miracles instead of science. The Techs treat them with derision and disdain, and their jokes often mock Lightbearers. While the two groups rarely actively oppose each other, they disagree vehemently on philosophical terms and have many heated arguments.